Brian Moggre Masters Live Oak International with Second Win of the Week in the $100,000 Longines FEI Jumping World Cup™ Ocala CSI3*-W

Ocala, Fla. – March 10, 2019 – The final day of Live Oak International concluded Sunday with the last qualifying leg of the Longines FEI World Cup™ Jumping North American League, the $100,000 Longines FEI Jumping World Cup™ Ocala CSI3*-W. Following four days of combined driving and show jumping competition, crowds gathered to view 39 competitors enter the grass ring at the picturesque Live Oak Plantation in Ocala, Florida. At the end of tough competition that featured numerous Longines FEI top-ranked athletes, it was 17-year-old Brian Moggre (USA) that produced the fastest jump-off time to walk away with top honors aboard Major Wager LLC’s MTM Vivre le Reve. Coming off first place honors in Friday’s $35,700 Longines FEI Jumping World Cup™ Qualifier, Moggre proved that age is just a number with his consistent results.

Brian Moggre and MTM Vivre le Reve

Athletes and their mounts tackled Olaf Petersen, Jr.’s technical track, which included a total of 14 efforts. Some of the more difficult combinations included a single wall, where competitors struggled to guide their horses over the tenth obstacle on course. As a result, four competitors were eliminated and three elected to retire. Another technical component of the course was the time allowed of 88 seconds. As the second to go, Sloane Coles was the pathfinder with a clear round aboard her mount Chippendale’s Boy CZ, but fell victim to one time fault. Time continued to prove difficult for a number of combinations throughout the day, with six athletes finishing on just one time fault to keep them from joining the jump-off.

As twenty-first in the order of go, Moggre carefully navigated the course as the third clear of the day, after Hyde Moffatt (CAN) and Noel Fauntleroy (USA) claimed the first two spots. Next to join the jump-off, just four trips after Moggre, was Sharn Wordley (NZL) and The Sky Group’s Casper. Securing the remaining two spots in the jump-off were Andre Thieme (GER) and the World No. 4 ranked athlete, Harrie Smolders aboard Evergate Stables LLC’s Una de l’Othain.

Brian Moggre and MTM Vivre le Reve over the wall

With six competitors in total to jump-off, Moggre knew he had to be both clean and clear in order to seal his win, laying down a swift time of 41.29 seconds over the short course. Wordley and Caspar were the fourth pair to try their hand in the jump-off, and although the combination put in a round free of jumping faults, their time of 43.96 seconds couldn’t overtake Moggre’s quick time. Second-to-last in the jump-off, Thieme and Aretine, owned by Turnierstall Andre Thieme GmbH, came close to eclipsing the leaders after attempting to make up time in the final line of the jump-off, but ultimately tripped the timers in 41.56 seconds.

Moggre, who is in his first year of eligibility for World Cup qualifying points, has been partnered with the the 10-year-old Westphalian gelding for two years. The pair have continued to grow their partnership together while accumulating a number of wins, including the $25,000 Welcome Grand Prix at Lamplight Equestrian Center in 2018. At such a young age, Moggre has a very promising future in the sport, as he proved by achieving the rare feat of winning both the qualifying class, Friday’s $35,700 Longines FEI Jumping World Cup™ Qualifier, and the grand prix round.

Andre Thieme and Aretino

Reserve honors were claimed by Thieme and Aretine, an 11-year-old Holsteiner gelding. The pair spend six weeks in Florida every winter, and are sure to make Live Oak International a stop on their trip, thanks to its grass arena that models what the German rider is used to at home in Europe. Thieme most recently found great success at another grass ring by helping Team Germany win the BMO Nations Cup CSIO5* in Spruce Meadows in September 2018.

Sharn Wordley and Casper

The third-fastest double-clear partnership of the afternoon, Wordley and Casper earned third place honors. Wordley and Caspar have been partnered together since 2015 and have competed around the globe together, including the 2018 FEI World Equestrian Games™ Tryon for Wordley’s home country of New Zealand.

Sunday’s event concluded the final qualifying competition of the North American League as the seventh leg of the Eastern Sub-League. The 2019 Longines FEI World Cup™ Final will take place in Gothenburg, Sweden on April 3-7, 2019.

FROM THE WINNER’S CIRCLE

On Sunday’s course:“I had very little expectations for myself. I really wanted to go in and jump a clear round. Once that happened, I went into the jump-off and just went pedal to the metal. There was one place in the jump-off where my horse really had to come and save me, so I’m really appreciative of that and that’s why he’s so special to me. Mid-air it hit me that his legs were going down in the oxer, but it worked out and he is such a great horse.”

On winning Friday and Sunday:“One of the reason’s I had such low expectations was because I did so well [on Friday]. I thought it couldn’t really get better than that. It really did get better though, and I have to thank my trainers, Mike McCormick and Tracy Fenney, and my parents. It’s been a great week for us here at Live Oak. I love being a part of this team that really supports each other.”

On MTM Vivre le Reve:“I call him Erkle in the barn. He is 10 years old and I’ve had him for about two years. He is the sweetest horse I’ve had. He is a great horse and it feels so good having him on my team.”

On the course:“I think that in a class like this, the wall belonged. I feel like some riders spooked more at it than the horses. I knew my horse wouldn’t have a problem with it so I felt pretty confident.”

On the jump-off:‘“I was planning on doing nine [strides] in the first line and eight ]strides] in the second, but after watching the first two go, I knew my horse has a big stride so I let him use that. I just wanted to stay tidy and never let up on the gas. I kept kicking and he was moving his legs. He is really clever and I think that’s what worked out for me.”

Andre Thieme – second place

On the jump-off:“I don’t think I could have done much differently to beat [Brian]. Maybe to the wall I could have cut some time, but that would have been really risky. I took a risk into the final combination and when that worked out I thought I was going to catch [Brian’s] time. When I walked into the jump-off I thought I had no chance because he is a freaky fast rider and he has a really fast horse. I’m not such a fast rider and neither is my horse, so I really didn’t think I had a chance, but after the combination I thought I had him.”

On competing at Live Oak:“Every year I spend six weeks in Florida and this show here is one of my main goals. I love it here. This place is such a nice break for the horses and the riders, seeing all the green. It’s refreshing and it reminds me of home. I love coming here.”

Sharn Wordley – third place

On the course:“I thought the triple combination was the most difficult today. It was pretty tough.”

On competing at Live Oak:“We always have a good show here. I’ve been coming here for awhile and it’s one of my favorite shows on the circuit here. I’ve always done really well here so I always have it on my calendar.”

Olaf Petersen, Jr. – course designer

On the wall and the time allowed:“I think that this is a World Cup Qualifier and in the finals, riders will see scary things set. I think those things need to be tested in these classes. After the ten horses, I always wonder if I should have set a different time allowed. Today, just one second more would have given us six more clear rounds and that would have been a whole different class. Time was tight, but also I think it was a very fair class.”

Material on this site is protected by federal copyright laws and may not be reproduced in any form unless designated as a press releaseor without prior written consent from Phelps Media Group. Contact info@phelpsmediagroup.com to request distribution rights.